Reel-handling truck.



W. MARSHALL.

REEL HANDLING TRUCK. APPLICATION man MARA. |916.

Patented June 26,1917.

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W. MARSHALL.

REEL HANDLING TRUCK..

APPLICATION msn MAR. 4. 1916.

1,231,040. Emma June 26,1917.

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W. MARSHALL.

REEL HANDLING TRUCK.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 4. i916.

1,231,040'n Pa-@md JUN 26, 1917,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

(g4/mento@ THE MORRIS prisas 0a.. micro-urna. WASHING IDN. D. E,

W. MARSHALL.

REEL HANDLING TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 191s.

Patented June 26, 1917.

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armar einen WALLACE MARSHALL, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

REEL-HANDLING TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed March 4, 1916. Serial No. 82,229.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, TALLACE MaRsHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements `in ReelHandling Trucks, -of which `the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. A

This invention relates to certain improve' ments in winding apparatus and has relation more particularly to an apparatus of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with reels such as are generally employed in connection with telephone cables, and it is an object of the invention to provide a machine of this general character having novel and improved means whereby a reel may be readily and conveniently lifted upon the machine or deposited upon the grou-nd when the requirements of practice .may require.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of this character having novel and improved means whereby a cable may be wound upon a reel with a minimum of effort.

rfhe invention also has for an object to provide a novel :and improved machine of this general character which in addition to being employed in connection with a reel, may be conveniently used for hoisting, pulling and other operations `incident to line construction. y

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved winding apparatus whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the ilccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a View in side elevation illustrating a machine constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in top plan of. the device as disclosed in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in axle of the machine, detached;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating certain details of construction relative to the reel lifting mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation illustrating my improved machine -arranged for hoisting purposes; y

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the connection between the boom illustrate-d in Fig. 6 and the frame of my improved machine;

F ig. 8 is an enlarged view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the structure shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the upper end of the vboom and its concomitant parts; and

Fig. 10 is a view in front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 9.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, F d-enotes the frame of my improved machine and preferably including the longitudinally disposed horizontal beams l having their forward ends and intermediate portions connected by the transverse beams :2 but, as is particularly illustrated in Fig. '2, it is to be observed that the space between the rear portions of the beams l is free and unobstructed so that no obstruction will be offered to the reel R when the same is being lifted upon or lremoved from the frame F.

The rear portion of the frame F rests upon the axle 3 extending beyond opposite sides of theframe F and on which extended portions are mounted the rear supporting wheels W. The intermediate portion of the axle 3 is offset, as at 4. said offset portion being substantially U-shaped and disposed forwardly on a predetermined incline, and said offset portion 4 is maintained in a predetermined position by the arms 5 depending from the side beams 1 of the frame F.

The forward endV of the frame F is sunported in a conventional manner b v the steering truck T and the forward end of the frame F has mounted thereupon a` motor M of any conventional type, but preferably an internal combustion engine.

My improved machine maybe transported from one place to another' in any manner desired and as the means of transportation forms no particular part of my invention, I have purposely omitted any disclosure in this regard.

Mounted for rocking movement upon each end portion of the axle 3 is a plate or bracket 6 which extends above the frame F and has secured thereto the free extremities of the lifting member L which is substantially U-shaped in .form and has its free end portions extending rearwardly of. the frame F,

.as is particularly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

rlhe upper edge of the plate 6 also extends above the upper edge of the adjacent portion of the member L and has its upper edge 7 straight as disclosed particularly in Fig. 3, and has its inner end provided with an upstanding hook member or bearing section S which is adapted to coact with the adjustable hook member or bearing section 9 carried by the upper portion of the plate 6 to afford a bearing for the removable axle A after said axle has been inserted in a conventional manner through a reel R.

The lower or inner end of the hook 9, as shown in Fig. 3, straddles the upper' or outer' margin of the plate 6 and the overlying portions of the hook 9 are provided with perfor-ations adapted to register with the longitudinally spaced perforations 10 in the upper portion of the plate 6 and through which a conventional retaining bolt or pin 11 is adapted to be directed, whereby the hook 9 may be held in close proximity to the permanent hook S or whereby the same may beheld at a predetermined distance away from the hook 8 in order that said hook 9 may be engaged beneath an extended portion of the axle A when the reel R is resting upon the ground so that when the inner end of the lifting frame L is pulled downwardly, the reel R will be lifted. It is to be noted that the edge 7 of the plate 6 is arranged on a slight inward and downward incline when the lifting member L is in horizontal position so that the reel R will roll by gravity into Contact with the hook S. After the reel R has assumed this position the hook 9 is moved inwardly to the position as particularly shown in Fig. 3.

Disposed inwardly of the lifting frame L is a transverse shaft 12 having one extremity operatively engaged, as at 14, with a counter-shaft 15. The shaft 15 is provided with the friction wheel 16 adapted to be engaged by the friction pulley 17 carried by the driving shaft 18 of the motor M, said shaft 18 being provided with the balance wheels 19 for a purpose which is believed to be self-evident.

20 denotes a lever mechanism whereby the wheel 16 may be moved toward or from the pulley 17, said mechanism 2O coacting with an eccentric bea-ring in which the shaft 15 is mounted. As no .claim of novelty is made relative to the eccentric bearing, it is thought that a detailed descriptionv thereof 1s unnecessary.

As is particularly shown in Fig. 1, it is to be noted that the connection 14 comprises two intermeshing pinions 21 carried by the lever 22 which, when operated in one direction through the medium ofV an eccentric bearing for the adjacent end of the shaft 15, disengages the upper pinion 21 from the gear carried by theV shaft 12 and comprised in the connection 14 and causes the lower pinion 21 to operatively engage said last named gear. By this construction it will be readily perceived that the direction of rotation of the shaft 12 may be reversed as required.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 12 is the drum D having one end portion provided with the clutch face 23 adapted to be engaged by the clutch member 2el-v keyed to the shaft 12 to rotate therewith but capable of movement longitudinally of the shaft, said longitudinal movement being created in any desired manner and is conventionally disclosed as a. lever 25.

As is indicated in Fig. 3, the drum D is adapted to have engaged therewith a flexible vmember 26 which is also adapted to be engaged with the upstanding arm 27 carried by the rear end of the lifting member L, whereby it will be perceived that upon requisite rotation of the drum D, the inner end of the member L will be drawn downwardly in order to properly elevate a reel, and by employing the upstanding arms 27 it will be perceived that the winding of the flexible member 26 upon the drum D will assure that the lifting member L will come in direct contact with the frame F. When in horizontal position, as disclosed in Fig. 3, the frame F is maintained against independent movement about the axle 3 through the medium of the stop pins 28 removably directed through the arms 29 carried by the members 1 of the frame F and extending above the member L when in its horizontal adjustment.

I also find it of advantage to have the extended portion of the member L provided with the depending arms 30 with which the flexible member 26 may be engaged in'order that the lifting member L may be readily adjusted into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In order that a cable may be conveniently wound upon a reel R supported by the frame F, I have also loosely mounted upon the shaft 12 a sprocket 31 provided with a clutch face 32 with which the clutch member 24,

hereinbefore referred to, is adapted to coact. The chain 33 is adapted to be directed around the sprocket 31 and also around the removable sprocket 34 adapted to be detachably engaged with an end of the reel R.

As herein embodied, the sprocket 34 is provided with the spokes 35 having the longitudinally disposed slots 36 affording a means whereby the clamping arms 37 may be adjustably engaged therewith, said clamping arms 37 being adapted to overlie the adjacent flange of the reel R, as is indicated at 38, in Fig. 2. It will also be understood that the sprocket 34 is operatively engaged with the reel R before the same is elevated through the medium of the lifting member L.

In view of the foregoing it will be at once perceived that my improved machine may be employed with convenience and facility in transporting a reel from one localityy to another and that it may also be employed with facility in winding a cable upon a reel either for the removal of an old cable or in connection with a new cable which is initially received from the manufacturer on a large reel, as is well known to .those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

It is also the purpose of my invention to employ my improved machine for purposes other than in connection with a reel, and as herein disclosed, 'it is to be observed that the rear transverse beam 2 at substantially its longitudinal center has pivotally secured, as at 39, to its rear face the clip 40 substantially U-shaped in form and which has its free extremities pivotally engaged, as at 41, to the lower end of a boom B.

The upper end of the boom B is provided with the spaced angular arms 42 between which is pivotally supported through the medium of the removable pin 43, the housing 44 and arranged in said housing 44-and rotatably mounted upon the removable pin 43 is the sheave 45 and over which a hoisting cable 46 or the like is directed, said cable 46 coacting with the drum D, as is .diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 6..

lThe base of the housing 44 has pivotally engaged therewith at opposite sides, as indicated at 47, the upper extremities of the bracing rods 48 whereby the outer end of the boom B may be suitably supported. It will be notedthat the connection between the boom B and the transverse beam 2 permits the boom B to be swung laterally in an arc of ksubstantially 1200, and that the connection between the boom B and the clip 40 permits the beam to be vertically adjusted as desired.

The housing 44 adjacent its lower end is also provided with the forwardly direct-ed loop 49 to serve as a guide for the lifting rope, and as is particularly shown in Fig. 10, it is to be observed that the housing 44 is provided with the forwardly directed pin 50 to which the cable or line may be attached when a block 51 is employed for heavy lifting.

The beam 2 also has in swiveled engagement therewith the eye member 52 with which is adapted to be engaged a snatch block 53 under 'which the cable or line 46 is directed when the boom B is employed for side lifting.

It is also to be observed that the wheel 16 is provided with a .hand grasp 54 so that my improved machine may be manually operated in connection with light work.

Telephone and telegraph cables come from the manufacturers on reels of various sizes and these reels when filled weigh from two thousand to five thousand pounds. W'hile the reels are standard in width, they vary in diameter and are made with cast iron center bearings for reel shafts. Heretofore these reels have in actual engineering practice been handled on a small truck or cart, requiring several men to load or unload the reel. Vith the machine heretofore described two men can load and unload any size reel and it is obvious that it may be readily transported to any place desired.

For the release of reels to be returned to manufacturers it is necessary to transfer the cable from the new or manufacturers7 reel lto reels owned by the operating company. My machine permits the unloading of a new reel in a very short time and the old reel, in which has beenl inserted the movable shaft and the sprocket wheel, is placed on the machine, the new reel being jacked up on the ordinary reel jack. The end of the cable from the new reel is then attached to the old reel and the cable wound 1j unloading and loading of the reels and the f machine is also adapted to pull the cable through conduits.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a winding apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and itV will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of .some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the pre- Cri cise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

I claim:

l. In a cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the main frame and movable from a depending position to a horizontal position resting on the main frame operatively connected to the reel supporting frame, power operated means on the main frame for raising or lowering the reel supporting frame, means on the reel supporting frame for detachably supporting a reel thereon, and means on the main frame for rotating the reel when in its raised position and operatively connected to said power operated means.

2. In a cable handling` apparatus, a main supporting frame, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted on the main frame for movement into a horizontal or approximately vertical position, means for slidingly supporting a reel shaft on the reel supporting frame, means on the main frame for rotating the reel supporting frame from a horizontal to an approximately vertical position and vice versa, and means on the main frame for rotating the reel when the reel supporting frame is in its horizontal position.

3. In cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted on the main frame, reel shaft bearings mounted on the reel supporting frame, each bearing composed of two sections, one of said sections of each bearing being mounted upon the reel supporting frame for longitudinal adjustment therealong, means for rotating the reel supporting frame upon its pivot from a vertical to a horizontal position and vice versa, and power operated means for rotating the reel when the reel frame is in `its horizontal position.

4. In cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted on the main frame at the rear end thereof for rotative movement into a horizontal or into a depending position, shaft bearings mounted upon the reel supporting frame, each bearing comprising two sections, one of said sections being fixed and the rear section being adjustable longitudinally upon the reel supporting frame, means for releasably locking the reel supporting frame in a horizontal position, power operated means for raising the reel supporting frame from a depending position to a horizontal position, and power operated means mounted on the main frame f or driving a reel supported on the reel supporting frame when the reel supporting frame is in its horizontal position.

5. A cable handling apparatus including a main supporting frame, a lifting member having two .parallel arms adapted when in a horizontal position to rest upon and be supported by the main supporting frame, the arms being pivotally connected to the main supporting frame at the rear end of the latter whereby the lifting member may be shifted in a vertical plane from a horizontal to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position, power operated means for drawing down the forward end of said lifting member to thereby raise the rear ends of said arms, and means on the rear end of the arms for engaging the shaft of a cable spool.

G. In a cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the main supporting frame for movement from a horizontal to a depending and an approximately vertical position, reel shaft bearings mounted upon the reel supporting frame and each consisting of two sections, one of said sections being ixed and the other longitudinally adjustable upon the reel supporting frame, means for holding the adjustable seetion in various adjusted positions, releasable means for holding the reel supporting frame in a horizontal position, and power operated means mounted on the main frame for rotating the reel supporting frame from its horizontal to its approximately vertical position n' vice versa.

7. In cable handling apparatus, a mainV supporting frame, a reel supporting frame including oppositely disposed brackets having a pivotal support at one end, reel shaft bearings mounted on said brackets in line with the pivotal support for the brackets, each bearing comprising a fixed section and a movable section, the movable section being shiftable away from a plane cutting the piv` otal support for the brackets, and the bearings and toward the free end of the brackets whereby a reel shaft may be shifted longitudinally upon said brackets', toward the free'ends thereof, and power operated means for shifting the reel supporting frame from a horizontal' to depending positionv and vice versa.

8. In cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, an axle mounted on the rear end of the frame, a reel supporting frame extending rearward of the axle and `forward thereof and pivotally supported upon said axle, reel shaft bearings mounted upon the reel supporting frame and when the supporting frame is in a horizontal position disposed immediately above the pivotal axis of the reel supporting` frame, said bearings eaeh consisting of a fixed section, a section movable away from the fixed section toward the rear end of the reel supporting frame, a winding drum mounted on the main frame, and a fiexible connection from said winding drum to the adjacent end of the reel supporting frame whereby the reel sup'- porting frame may be rotated. y

9. In cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a winding drum thereon, a reell supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the main frame for movement from a horizontal into a depending and approximately vertical position, a reel shaft detachably mounted in the reel supportingy frame, operative connections between the winding drum and the reel supporting frame whereb-y the latter may be rotatably raised or low-- ered, and power operated means o-n the main frame whereby the reel shaft may be rotated when the reel supporting frame is in its horizontal position. v

10. In cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame, a winding drum thereon, power operated means on the main supporting frame for rotating said winding drum, means for operatively connecting the winding drum to or disconnecting it. from the power operated means, a reel supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the main frame and shiftable from a horizontal to a depending and approximately vertical position to thereby deposit a reel upon the ground, a connection from the winding drum to the ree-l supporting frame, a reel shaft detachably mounted on the reel supporting frame, a reel on the shaft., a sprocket wheel detachably connected to the reel, a sprocket chain, a sprocket wheel mounted on the drum shaft and with which said chain engages, and means for engaging or disengaging said sprocket wheel with said power operated means.

11. In a cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame having a cranked axle at its rear end, a U-sliaped reel supporting frame having brackets at its rear end pivotally engaged with the rear axle and normally projecting beyond the rear axle, bearings mounted upon t-he upper edges of said brackets, each of said bearings comprising a fixed section and a section which is movable rearward toward the free end of the bracket, means for holding the movable section in any adjusted positions, a. power transmission shaft, a winding drum loosely mounted thereon, a. sprocket Wheel loosely mounted thereon, means extending from the winding drum to the rear end of the reel supporting frame whereby the latter may be rotated from a vertical to a horizontal position, means for detachably holding the reel supporting frame in its horizontal position, a reel shaft supported in said bearings, a reel mounted on the shaft, a sprocket wheel detachably engaged with said reel, 'a sprocket chain passing over said sprocket wheel and engaging the first named sprocket wheel whereby power may be transmitted to the reel, and means for operatively engaging either the drum with the power transmission shaft or the rst named sprocket wheel with said power transmission shaft.

12. A cable handling apparatus including a main supporting frame, areel supporting frame mounted intermediate its lengthy uponv the main frame for rocking movement, said reel supporting frame comprising'r spaced parallel portionsthe inner end of each of said portions being provided with an upstanding permanent bearing section, a sliding bearing section carried by each of said parallel portions, and means for holding said sliding bearing sections against movement, the upper surfaces of the parallel portions being inclined downward toward the permanent bearing sections.

13. A real lifting mechanism comprising a lifting member pivoted intermediate its ends for movement in a vertical plane and having a pair of arms, a reel shaftengaging member adjustably mounted on each arm between the pivot of the lifting member a'nd the extremity of the arm, said member being outwardly andv rearwardly ycurved toward the pivot of the lifting member, and means for locking each reel shaft engagingmember in its adj usted position on the arm.

lli. A reell lifting mechanism comprising a pivotally supported lifting member having two laterally spaced arms, a fixed upwardly projecting stop disposed on said arms above the pivotal axis of the lifting member, and a reel shaft engaging member adjustably mounted on each arm between said fixed stop and the free end of the arm.

15. A reel lifting mechanism comprising a pivotally supported lifting member having two laterally spaced arms, a fixed upwardly projecting stop disposed on said arms above the pivotal axis of the lifting member, and a reel shaft engaging member adjustably mounted in each arm between said fixed stop and the free end of the arm, each permanent member being hook-shaped and the corresponding engaging member being reversely hook-shaped.

16. A reel lifting mechanism including an axle, wheels supporting the axle, a lifting member having two arms rotatably mounted upon the axle, a fixed stop mounted on each arm above the axle, and an adjustable reel shaft engaging member mounted on each arm between said fixed stop and the extremity of the arm.

17. In a cable handling apparatus, a main supporting frame including spaced longitudinal beams, a rear axle extending below said beams, the axle being cranked, a reel supporting and lifting frame including spaced longitudinally disposed arms normally resting upon the beams of the main frame when the arms are in a horizontal position and swingingly connected to said axle,

vso

said supporting and lifting frame extending beyond the beamsof the main frame, power operated means mounted upon the main frame and operatively connected to the forward end of the lifting frame whereby the lifting frame may be drawn from an npwardly extending position to a horizontal position, iixed stops mounted upon the arms of the lifting frame and disposed immediately above the rear axle, and reel shaft engaging members disposed between the stops and the rear ends of the said arms and adjustable toward or from the fixed stops.

18. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a supporting axle secured to the rear portion of the frame, plates pivotally engaged with the' axle adjacent the opposite sides of the frame, said plates extending above and rearwardly of the frame when at the limit of their inward movement, the inner end portion of each of the plates being provided with an upstanding stop, a sliding stop carried by each of the plates and movable relative to the stationary stop, means for holding the sliding stop against movement and means for imparting rocking movement to the plates.

19. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a supporting axle secured to the rear portion of the frame, plates pivotally engaged with the axle adjacent the opposite sides of the frame, said plates extending above and rearwardly of the frame when at the limit of their inward movement, th'e inner end portion of each of the plates being provided with an upstanding stop, a sliding stop carried by each of the plates and movable relative to the stationary stop, means for holding the sliding stop against movement, and means for imparting rocking movement to the plates, the upper margin of each of the plates being inclined downwardly toward the stationary stop.

20. A reel lifting mechanism comprising a pivotally supported lifting member having two arms, the lifting member being pivoted intermediate its ends, a reel shaft engaging member adjustably mounted on each arm between the pivotal axis of the arm and the free extremity thereof, and means disposed inward of the adjustable member for limiting the .inward movement of a reel shaft on said arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VALLACE MARSHALL.

Vitnesses:

FRANK S. MOORE, LOUISE E. KLUMPE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

